Computing-scale.



PATENTED OUT. 3, 1905.

J. B. JOHNSON.

GQMPUTING SCALE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 19. 1905.

5 N w 1 Z 6 2 J 7 d M M w Mn 5 4. 21 m 0 J 2 6 Z w JAJQ J b 5 5;; J2 7 N1; W u m wwm m .JJ m a 1 J 6 t 3/ MAE... n 15 M w Inventor Attorn'eyWitnesses UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN ROBERT JOHNSON, OF PONTIAC, ILLINOIS.

COMPUTING-SCALE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 3, 1905.

Application filed July 19, 1905. Serial No, 270,410.

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J OI-IN ROBERT JOHNSON, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Pontiac, in the county of Livingston and State ofIllinois, have invented a new and useful Oomputing-Scale, of which thefollowing is a specilication.

This invention relates'to the class of scales 2 whereby the weight andthe price per pound part of this specification, and in whichcorresponding parts are denoted by like designating characters, isillustrated the preferred form of embodiment of the invention capable ofcarrying the same into practical operation.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation. Fig. 2 is a verticalsectional elevation. Fig. 3 is a perspective viewof thespring-supporting clip detached.

Like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all of thefigures of the drawings.

In the improved device is comprised an outer casing or shell 10, closedat the lower end 11, and an inner casing or shell 12, closed at theupper end 13 and provided with a swiveled supporting-ring 14. The innercasing is slidably disposed within the outer casing and is provided withguid e-lugs 15 16, through which guide-rods 17 18, attached to thebottom portion 11 of the outer casing-shell, extend. By this simplemeans the outer casing is movable vertically over the inner casing, butis held from rotation thereon by the coaction of the rods and lugs.

Depending from the bottom of the upper portion 13 of the inner shell 12are spaced cars 19, from which the balance-spring 20 is suspended, as bya pin 21, the lower end of the spring connected to a threaded stem 22,passing downwardly through the bottom 11 of the shell 10 and securedadjustably thereto, as by nuts 23 24.

The stem 22 is provided with a head 25 at the upper end,and supportedbeneath the head, as by a nut 26, is a plate 27, the plate extendingbetween the lower coils of the spring 20 and provided with spaced ears28 for bearing against the outer faces of the spring-coils and holdingthem in position. By this means the spring is firmly coupled to the stemand the latter adjustable relative to the shell 10 by means of theadjusting-nuts 23 24.

A suspension-hook 29 is connected to the lower end of the stem 22 toreceive the weighing-pan or other receptacle for the goods to beweighed.

The shells l0 and 12 will preferably be cylindrical and of seamlesstubing, and the inner shell will be provided with the graduations fromwhich the various weights, prices, and other data are read, While theouter shell will be provided with certain indicator lines and characterscooperating with the data upon the inner shell.

The matter for the inner shell will preferably be printed or otherwiseplaced upon a strip or strips of paper or like material and glued orotherwise attached to the inner shell, while the data for the outershell will be similarly formed and attached.

Any required matter may be employed upon the shells and arranged in anyrequired manner; but for the purpose of illustration an approved systemof price-computing configurations are shown, which will now bedescribed.

The sheet of paper or similar material rep resented at 30 is providedwith two sets of horizontal lines, one set 31 spaced apart and extendingto the right from a central vertical line 32 and the other set 33 spacedthe same distance apart, but disposed intermediately of the lines 31 andextending toward the left from the same center line 32. The spacesbetween the line 31 and the strength of the spring 20 will be sograduated that each pound of weight attached to the suspension-hook 29will cause the outer shell to move downward a distance equal to one ofthe spaces, the upper edge of the outer shell thus serving as anindicator. By arranging the lines 33 midway of the lines 31 it will beobvious that the same upper edge of the outer shell will indicate thehalf-pounds on the lines 33. Thus the upper rim of the outer shellbecomes the indicator of the device and no other indicator is required.The sheet 30 is also divided by spaced vertical lines 34 into verticalcolumns. Disposed upon the upper end of the outer shell is a strip ofpaper or like material 35, provided with spaced vertical lines 36,corresponding to the vertical lines 34 of the sheet 30. Thus as theouter shellmoves over theinner shell the lines 38 of the strip 35 followthe lines 34 of the inner shell, while a center line 37 on the strips 35corresponds to and follows the center line 32 of the sheet 30.

In the column of spaces next to the center line 32 on the sheet 30 atthe right the lines 31 are numbered 1, 2, 3,and so on, denoting pounds,and in the corresponding column at the left of the center line thehalf-lines 3 are denoted by the characters 5, f, 2 and so on. Theremaining vertical columns at the right are supplied with figuresdenoting the various prices for goods of various weights by the pound,and the remaining vertical columns at the left are supplied with figuresto denote the prices for half-pounds.

The vertical columns formed by the vertical lines 36 of the strip 35 arenumbered 1, 2, 3, and so on in opposite directions from the center line37.

A limited number of the denoting-figures only are shown for the purposeof illustration; but it will be obvious that the range of the device maybe extended to any desired extent.

To illustrate the operation, when there is price required for pounds anda fraction of a pound for instance, four and onehalf pounds at three andone-half cents per poundthe article to be priced will depress the outershell until its upper rim is in line with the line 33 neXt below the 4%mark in the weight-column. This will bring the character 3 on the strip35 at the left opposite the character 14 in the vertical column on thesheet 30 and the character on the strip 35 beneath the character 2 inthe vertical column on the sheet 30, which, added to fourteen, makessixteen, the price plus the odd one-half cent, as before, or in thisexample it is only one-fourth of one cent. In like manner the price ofany required article per pound or half-pound may be readily ascertained.

It will be understood that the graduations of the lines may be varied toany required extent to denote other fractions of a pound than halves, ifrequired.

The device is simple in construction and can be inexpensivelymanufactured and of any required size or capacity.

The shells 1O 12 may be of any suitable metal and ornamented to anyrequired extent. The two shells being firmly supported from lateral orrotative movement, there will be no frictional contact between them.Hence the sheet 30 may be of relatively fragile and inexpensivematerial, as it is protected from injury by the outer shell, and whenthe device is not in usethe sheet having the configura tions is entirelyconcealed and protected between the two shells.

The sheet 30 and the strip 35 may be renewed at a trifling expense whenworn or soiled, and thus very materially increasing the value or utilityof the device and prolonging its life.

A tablet 39 of any suitable material will preferably be attached to theouter shell 10 for containing directions for operating the device andreading the various computations.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. Acomputing-scale comprising an inner shell having a verticaldividing-line and with spaced horizontal lines leading around the shellin one direction from said vertical line and spaced horizontal linesleading around the shell in the opposite direction from the verticalline and disposed interinediately of the first-mentioned horizontallines and with vertical lines spaced apart and dividing said shell intoa plurality of vertical columns of spaces, the spaces at one side of thecenter line carrying the price-per-pound numerals and the spaces at theopposite side of the center line carrying price-per-fractions-of-ponndnumerals, an outer shell slidable over said inner shell with its upperrim serving as an indicator when moved over said horizontal line of theinner shell said outer shell having spaced vertical lines correspondingto the vertical lines of the inner shell and provided with numerals inprogressive order in opposite direction from the center line and abalance-spring connecting said shells.

2. A computing-scale comprising an inner shell provided with interiorguide-lugs and with spaced weight-graduations an outer shell movableover said inner shell and provided with guide-rods movably engaging saidguidelugs,the upper rim of said outer shell serving as an indicatorcoacting with said weight-graduations and a balance-spring connectingsaid shells.

3. A computing-scale comprising an inner shell closed at the upper endand provided with interior guide-lugs and with spaced graduations, anouter shell closed at the lower end and movable over said inner shelland provided with guide-rods movably engaging said guide-lugs, the upperrim of said outer shell serving as an indicator coacting with said gradnations, a threaded rod extending through the bottom of said outershell, nuts engaging said rod and bearing upon the opposite sides ofsaid bottom member and aspring connected between said rod and the innershell.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN ROBERT JOHNSON.

l/Vitnesses:

DON GooDALL, I. P. MCDOWELL.

